


Spinzaku and His Pleasure Fish

by Luluko Kururugi (LokasennaHiddleston)



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst and Feels, Crack Treated Seriously, Dark Crack, Fabulous Fish Lelouch, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, Lelouch is the World's Snarkiest Fish, M/M, The Knights of Rounds are Bros, What Have I Done, no bestiality, no fish were harmed in the making of this fic, the suzaeuphie is temporary
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:40:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28248531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LokasennaHiddleston/pseuds/Luluko%20Kururugi
Summary: On a drunken dare, Suzaku kisses a gorgeous purplish fish. It shouldn't be more than a memory for Anya's phone - but two days later, said fish ends up in a tank in his room. And it's speaking. And making demands. And glaring at him? Suzaku didn't sign up for this.Or the one, where Suzaku doesn't pleasure himself with a fish, but comes awfully close, Lelouch demands for his excellence in all things fishy to be acknowledged, the Knights of Rounds are good friends when they try, and Luciano sucks - because he always does.
Relationships: Euphemia li Britannia/Kururugi Suzaku, Kururugi Suzaku & Gino Weinberg, Kururugi Suzaku/Lelouch Lamperouge | Lelouch vi Britannia
Comments: 26
Kudos: 51





	1. The Pleasure Fish

**Author's Note:**

> Why did I write this? I blame the CG server. Also possibly sleep deprivation. Anyway, I know nothing about how to care for a fish, so those details will probably be handwavey. But for reference, Lelouch is an arowana. The Asian Arowana - which is an endangered fish - is the world's most expensive fish and the price of one can reach 300k USD. Other types of arowana are cheaper, but Lelouch is a special one of a kind fish. No one is surprised.

“No. I’m not doing it. Absolutely not.”

Suzaku shakes his head and almost falls over in the process. He can’t even remember how much he drank—it must have been a lot, because as a rule, he doesn’t get drunk at all—but he does know that Gino’s most recent idea is even more idiotic than his usual ones.

“Oh, come on,” Monica says. “You said you would.”

“It’s a dare,” Anya points out calmly. Suzaku wonders how she can even look so stoic when three-quarters of the liquid flowing through her veins is vodka. “You can’t refuse now.”

Nonette and Dorothea cheer him on, but it’s Luciano who seals the deal. “Come on, Kururugi. Don’t be such a coward.”

Luciano is a racist asshole, and ninety-nine percent of the time, he’s only invited to the Knights of Rounds parties so that people can make fun of him. But Suzaku still feels the urge to punch him in the face. He’s just very… punchable.

He has a feeling that if he doesn’t do something else now, he may make Luciano eat sand. And possibly break every bone in Luciano’s body. And even if he’s drunk, he’s lucid enough to not want to be expelled. “Fine. I’ll kiss the fucking fish.”

Gino cackles in satisfaction. Suzaku ignores him, all the while berating himself for his taste in friends.

Together, their group staggers toward the water. They’ve all gathered on the beach for the party, so Suzaku abandons all sense and shucks off his swim trunks. Out of sheer pettiness, he throws them at his friends. Nonette catches them and catcalls. “Nice ass!”

“Best ass,” Monica corrects her. “I keep wondering how he manages that.”

Without looking at the girls, Suzaku delves into the water. It’s dark, and the headlights from Gino’s car don’t provide that much illumination. For a few seconds, he wonders if he’ll even have any luck in catching a fish. He used to do it all the time in Japan, but never during the night, and certainly not when he was so drunk he can barely stand.

But today must be his lucky day because he soon catches sight of a flash of purple in the water. Suzaku plunges his hands into the water and makes a grab for his prey.

The fish tries to escape, but it’s far slower than any other fish Suzaku has caught before. Suzaku extracts the creature from the water, idly noting the way the light dance over the scales. It’s an interesting-looking fish, its body long and covered with almost glowing purple and white scales.

Suzaku would have liked to analyze it a little more, but he knows enough about fish to realize they don’t actually survive when extracted from the ocean. And he doesn’t want to kill the creature, especially not for something as stupid as a bet. “Sorry, Fish-San,” he says. Louder, so that everyone can hear, he calls out, “I’ll now proceed to pleasure myself with this fish.” He plants a kiss on the fish’s body, then quickly releases it in the water, so that it isn’t killed by the idiotic human who decided to include him in his dare. It escapes into the ocean in a flash of purple. Suzaku returns to his friends, who are cheering just as wildly as they did when he won last year’s wrestling competition. “Memory captured,” Anya says, her phone in her hand.

Suzaku sighs and resigns himself to being teased for this stupid dare. “We’ll call it Spinzaku and His Pleasure Fish,” Gino says, squeezing his shoulder.

“Just give me another beer and shut up,” Suzaku tells him. And that should have been the end of that. But it isn’t.

****

Two days after the ‘pleasure fish’ incident, Suzaku comes back to the dorm feeling morose. He’d been forced to stay behind for a tutoring session with Ms. Cecile again. Unfortunately, his skill in chemistry hasn’t increased in the slightest. Cecile is great, but instead of teaching him chem, she tends to shove her boobs into his face and weird foodstuffs into his mouth. Suzaku isn’t one to say ‘no’ when a girl is willing and he always did like older women, but unfortunately, Cecile is his teacher, so any hint of a relationship with her would risk his position at the school.

So he’s in a foul mood, sexually frustrated, and wondering when he’ll be able to escape the school for a nice night out. Knowing his luck, it won’t be for a while now, since Bismarck has really been riding their ass lately—and not in a fun way. Suzaku’s father has already made it clear he’s expecting excellent results from Suzaku’s overseas education, so he can’t afford to slack off.

What a clusterfuck.

He walks into his dorm room, only to be faced with the unexpected sight of a large fish tank. Inside said tank, a large purplish fish is swimming around.

There’s really a single explanation for the unwanted surprises. Suzaku closes his eyes, mentally counts to ten, and forces himself to tame his temper, as Tohdoh-sensei taught him when he was a brash, arrogant boy. He’s at least somewhat successful—and just in time too, because Gino arrives, ready to bask in the success of his prank/mission/whatever the hell this is supposed to be.

“Suzaku! We got you a gift! A nice pleasure fish, just for you.”

It’s at times like these that Suzaku wishes his dorm mates were a little less… exuberant and more aware of social niceties. But he knows better than to let it get to him. Besides, Gino means well, and Suzaku isn’t going to begrudge him for a silly joke.

“Did you?” he asks calmly. “You really have too much time on your hands. How did you manage to find the exact type of fish?”

“It was actually a stroke of good fortune,” Gino pipes up. “Believe it or not, we weren’t planning on getting one for you, but Monica and I walked past the pet shop in the mall this morning, and there it was.”

Suzaku hums thoughtfully. Gino is many things, but he isn’t a liar. “Well, thanks, I guess. Did you happen to get any feed for him?”

Gino’s smile widens, and Suzaku realizes that his friend may have been a little worried about his reaction to the prank. Then again, Gino always was more perceptive than he seemed and tended to notice Suzaku’s fouler moods.

He’s also considerate enough to have looked into feed for the ‘pleasure fish.’ “Actually, yes. We got a booklet from the pet store. We thought he could be the dorm mascot.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Suzaku replies. “He’s my pleasure fish. I’m obviously the one who has to take care of him.”

Gino laughs, and Suzaku feels a little better about his horrible afternoon. Then, he turns toward the fish. He couldn’t possibly be the same one Suzaku kissed for the dare, but assuming Suzaku’s alcohol-fogged memory is accurate, the scale pattern is the same. Looking at it a little closer, he realizes he recognizes the type of fish. “Oh. It’s an Arowana.”

“Wow, I’m impressed,” Gino says. “You’re more passionate about fish than I realized.”

“I’m not,” Suzaku answers. “My great-uncle had an Asian Arowana. It’s actually a freshwater fish, so it’s rather strange that we spotted one in the ocean. Or that you found this one in the pet store, for that matter.” Maybe they were more common in Britannia? It never occurred to Suzaku to look into Britannian fish. Maybe he should have.

“I guess.” Gino shrugs. “Anyway, the clerk assured us it wasn’t very difficult to take care of it.”

“Did she?” Suzaku doubts that very much. Kirihara-dono’s pet had been terrible to care for, and he only kept it as a status symbol. Granted, Asian Arowana tended to be far more expensive than other breeds, but this particular fish seemed unusual too. Suzaku has no doubt the people at the pet store were thrilled the moment they saw Gino show interest in the creature.

In any case, he hopes the Arowana isn’t as difficult to care for as the one Kirihara-dono kept. The last thing he needs right now is a troublesome pet.

That hope dies the moment Gino leaves the room. “Well, here we are then, Suzaku Kururugi,” the fish says. “Now… I hope you don’t expect me to stay in this pathetic tank. I expect you to get me something more suited to my greatness.”

At first, Suzaku doesn’t realize where the voice is coming from. The fish swims up to the edge of the tank at taps the glass with its fin. “I’m talking to you, idiot. You need to take responsibility for your actions.”

“Responsibility?” Suzaku repeats. This is a weird dream. It has to be some kind of dream. “What?”

“I’m supposedly your fish now, right?” the fish says, sounding displeased. “You need to provide me with adequate care. And please keep the noisy human away from me. Such a pest.”

Suzaku’s first instinct is to believe his mind has finally cracked and is expressing his true opinion of Gino through the damn Arowana. But then, the fish pokes the glass again, this time with his bony tongue, and insistently pins Suzaku with a look that really shouldn’t be as expressive as it is. “Are you listening, Suzaku? I have compiled a list of my immediate necessities.

“I will need a tank of at least 300 gallons. Please make sure the LED lights complement my coloring. Purple and red are always a good choice, and they will look nice on my scales. And for heaven’s sake, get a better water filter. I will also not accept the kind of food I was previously fed. I was forced to make do with that noisy blond friend of yours, but I expect better from you.

“Additionally, I know your friend is under the impression that a fish of my magnificence doesn’t require housing, but I do wish for some privacy. A custom-made home—perhaps crafted out of emeralds—would be appropriate.”

Suzaku stares at the fish. The fish stares right back. “Well? I’m waiting.”

Suzaku does the only rational thing anyone would do under the circumstances. He flees and hopes like hell his hallucinations will go away. They don’t.


	2. The Tutor Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! Merry Christmas, with an update on this fabulous fish-fic! I definitely want to finish it until the end of the year at the latest! Enjoy!

“Suzaku. Pay attention to me. I need more food.”

Suzaku looks up from his textbook, irritated. “I just fed you ten minutes ago.”

In his tank, his so-called pet pokes the glass in obvious annoyance. “Yes, but that’s not good enough. I want shrimp.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. All right, Lelouch.”

Over the past couple of days, Suzaku has grown used to his talkative demon fish. Once Suzaku stopped freaking out, the fish introduced himself as Lelouch—which confirmed that this isn’t a dream, because what kind of ridiculous name is Lelouch, anyway? Lelouch has yet to explain his true nature, but Suzaku grew up in a shrine, so he knows there are plenty of unexplainable things in this world that most people would deem crazy. A talking fish really isn’t that big of a deal, if you think about it.

Naturally, he hasn’t mentioned any of it to Gino or the other Knights of the Round. They’d believe he was crazy—and Suzaku isn’t completely convinced they wouldn’t be right. But he’ll deal with that when he has time for it. For the moment, he’s too busy worrying about how to pass chem.

Suzaku carefully feeds Lelouch the shrimp. Lelouch has never been violent with him, but the one time Gino tried to feed him didn’t end well. By now, the whole dorm knows that Suzaku’s ‘pleasure fish’ is just as dangerous as Suzaku.

As Lelouch eats the shrimp, Suzaku leans against the massive tank—built according to Lelouch’s specifications, of course, because otherwise, he never would have gotten a decent night’s sleep. The way the light flashes over Lelouch’s scales is kind of peaceful. Suzaku sighs, no longer able to conceal his fatigue.

For a fish, Lelouch is very perceptive. He swims closer to Suzaku—or at least as close as he can get, considering the thick glass separating them. “What seems to be the problem, Suzaku? Chemistry troubling you again?”

Suzaku nods miserably. “I just can’t remember all this stuff. It’s so frustrating.”

Lelouch hums thoughtfully. Somehow. Maybe Suzaku is just imagining it, though, and he really has lost his mind. “Well, I suppose just this once, I could give you a hand and tutor you. You haven’t been completely useless and you do seem to appreciate my magnificence.”

“Tutor me,” Suzaku repeats. “You know chem?”

“I know more than you can possibly think, Suzaku,” Lelouch says, somehow managing to sound smug, dismissive, and disgusted at the same time. “Come on. Let me see.”

It’s pure insanity, but Suzaku finds himself complying anyway. There’s just something about Lelouch that always makes Suzaku feel like he just has to obey, which is weird as fuck, because Lelouch is only a fish, for heaven’s sake. But Suzaku goes along with it, and he isn’t disappointed.

At first, Lelouch insults his intelligence and repeatedly contemplates the possibility of him being dropped on his head as a child. He swims around agitatedly in the tank, bashing his tail against the glass. But ultimately, they do find a practical way for Suzaku to remember everything he needs. The chemical formulas begin to make sense under Lelouch’s fishy tutelage. Lelouch reaches a point where he starts using it in day-to-day conversation, just so that Suzaku will remember.

“I don’t like my shrimp with NaCl.”

“Don’t forget to buy some NaHCO3.”

“Your friend just dumped a ton of C2H3O2 into your salad.”

Suzaku is a practical person, so he needs practical solutions. Without it, he feels lost. And somehow, Lelouch seems to understand this—even if he is unbearably smug about it.

From lesson to lesson, Suzaku’s grade starts to rise. He reaches a point where he doesn’t have to take tutoring classes from Cecile anymore, much to her visible disappointment. His teachers are all very shocked at his massive improvement, and his friends are jealous.

“You have to tell me, Suzaku, what trick are you using?” Gino asks.

“No trick,” Suzaku answers. “I’m just studying more.”

“Can you give me a hand then?”

Suzaku thinks about the vinegar Gino put in his salad and suppresses a smile. “I really would, but I’m kind of behind on my long-distance classes.”

Gino shoots him a compassionate look. “I can’t believe your family expects you to complete Japanese studies, as well as your schooling here. That’s just sadistic.”

Suzaku shrugs. It’s not really a big deal, and he was prepared for it when the decision for him to come to the Pendragon Military Academy was made. Besides, he’s grown up with far tougher training. But Gino doesn’t know that, and Suzaku has no intention of telling him. “I’ll be fine,” he says simply. “It won’t take me that long to catch up.”

Truth be told, his Japanese schooling is fine, but it’s nice to have some time to himself, just doing his martial arts training, without worrying about his friends. And it’s also nice to spend time with Lelouch.

Even with all that, Suzaku is surprised when, during his mid-terms, he passes his exam with flying colors. In the past, he usually scraped by, but more often than not, it felt like it was because his teachers took pity on him, or Bismarck badgered them into giving him a passing grade. It’s nice to finally get a good result in something that doesn’t require him kicking things.

“To be fair, Suzaku,” Lelouch says when Suzaku explains this, “you are exceptionally good at kicking things. Spinzaku.”

Suzaku rolls his eyes when Lelouch mentions the nickname his friends have given him because of his patented spinkick. “Well, yes, but that’s not the only thing I want to do with my life.” He leaned in closer to the tank and whispers, “I want to be a knightmare pilot.”

Everyone he’s told about his dream has said it’s not really possible. Getting into knight school required good grades not just in athletics, but also in fields like physics and mathematics. Suzaku is decent at those, enough, at least, that he should have been able to make it into knight school. But without a passing grade in chem, he wouldn’t have had a chance.

Lelouch doesn’t laugh at him. “A knightmare pilot, huh? Interesting. Doesn’t your father want you to go into politics, though?”

Suzaku grimaces. “Yes, but I don’t know. I’m not sure politics is for me. Hell, knightmare piloting might not work out either. I think my father agreed to let me try precisely because he feels I’ll fail.”

Lelouch mumbles something Suzaku can’t really understand, but seems to refer to Genbu’s intestines. Suzaku ignores Lelouch’s bloodthirsty nature and shakes himself. “Anyway, let’s not talk about that right now. We should celebrate.”

“Celebrate? What did you have in mind?”

Suzaku doesn’t really have any plans—because how do you organize a celebration with a friend that’s a freaking fish? The very idea is ridiculous. But now that he’s suggested it, he pursues it. “How about a movie? I have a good one in mind. Gino suggested it the other day.”

Lelouch covers his face with his fin. “I’m already shuddering. Since when are you taking movie recommendations from Sir Weinberg?”

“I know, I know. But Anya said it was a heartwarming tale of found family, so it can’t be too bad.”

Lelouch isn’t too convinced, but still, he agrees. Suzaku carries his laptop in front of Lelouch’s tank and positions it properly so Lelouch can see the screen. He makes some snacks—for both himself and his fishy friend—then plays the movie.

Gino’s recommendation is called ‘ _Finding Nemo_ ’ and is unsurprisingly a movie about a fish. The main character is a fish on a quest to find his lost son.

Lelouch loudly complains about the inaccurate portrayal of clownfish, but he does seem to go quiet in the more touching moments of the movie. Not for the first time, Suzaku wonders if Lelouch has a family of talking fish, waiting for him somewhere out there.

He doesn’t have the courage to ask. Besides, he doubts it. If Lelouch wants something, he always asks for it, and he’s never asked to be set free. He must be aware that Suzaku would never keep him in a tank if Lelouch really wanted to be freed. So Lelouch must not have a family, no one except for Suzaku.

Suzaku doesn’t mention his epiphany. Instead, as soon as the movie ends, he turns toward his friend and grins. “So, what did you think about the movie? Did you like it? Did you think Dory was hot?”

“Sometimes, I wonder about you, Suzaku,” Lelouch says, shaking his head in fishy disappointment.

“What?” Suzaku asks with a laugh. “There’s no shame in it, Lelouch. Hey, there’s even a sequel, starring Dory.”

Lelouch ignores him and goes to hide behind his little refuge—still made out of fake emeralds, because Suzaku has yet to be able to craft him one out of real ones. Suzaku doesn’t know why, but he gets the feeling he may have said something wrong.

****

That evening, Suzaku has a strange dream. He seems to be swimming in the ocean, making his way through the murky water. A shadowy figure appears from the dark depths, wrapping pale arms around him.

“Suzaku. I need you. You’re the only one for me.”

Insistent lips press against his own. At first, Suzaku is surprised, but the shock quickly fades away, pushed back by arousal. He takes over the kiss, thrusting his tongue into the stranger’s mouth.

The water feels cool, but welcoming around him. The stranger’s hold on him is tight, almost to the point of pain, but Suzaku loves it. He feels like he’s suffocating, and he knows he should be alarmed, that he could easily drown like this, but he’s not afraid.

When he breaks the kiss, he smiles, looking into purple eyes the exact color of Lelouch’s scales. “I need you too.”

Lelouch smirks at him and kisses him again. Suzaku jolts out of bed, yelping.

“What the fuck?” he curses, feeling shaken and lost. “What was that all about?”

He doesn’t remember much about the mysterious figure he kissed in the dream, but for unknown reasons, he associated it with Lelouch. Clearly, he needs to get laid, because this could be a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference, the chemical formulas are for salt, baking soda, and vinegar.


	3. The Jealous Fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Yay! Lelouch's adventures as a fish continue. This one is a little longer, and things will start turning darker now. Enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment on your way out :D

Having Gino as a best friend doesn’t always work out, but there are times when Suzaku is grateful for it. He likes to think he’s pretty sociable too, but Britannia is very different from Japan. Even after two years of studying here, he’s still not fully accustomed to their interactions.

Gino is Britannian, and he’s a bit of a partier, so when Suzaku expresses his desire to have some fun, he’s in his element. “Thank God! I thought we were losing you to chem. Time to organize a party, eh?”

Suzaku shrugs. “Sure. We haven’t thrown one in a while.”

The other Rounds are pretty excited about it too. Schooling has been tough on them, and they’re looking forward to something relaxing. Of course, in their opinion, ‘something relaxing’ involves alcohol, drugs, and over a hundred people invited to the dorms—but details.

The party is in full swing and he’s thinking of chatting up a fiery redhead who’d come with Gino’s newest girlfriend Milly, when a pink-haired girl stumbles into him. “Oh. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

Normally, Suzaku would think that’s nonsense, because he stands out, even in a crowd. But she doesn’t seem to mean any harm by it, and she does look ruffled. “It’s fine,” he says. “It’s a bit crowded here. You okay?”

“Yes. Just a little… overwhelmed. I don’t suppose… Would you show me where the door to the gardens is?”

Suzaku complies, and guides the girl onto the terrace. There are a lot of people here too, but it’s a little less stuffy and suffocating than inside, and the music seems less loud.

“Thanks,” the girl says. “I really appreciate it. My name is Euphie, by the way.”

“Suzaku.”

There’s something about her demeanor that Suzaku finds calming. After the past couple of nights—and no, he will not think about those crazy dreams he had about Lelouch, thank you very much—Euphie’s presence and warmth are reassuring. She’s beautiful, but Suzaku has been with plenty of pretty girls before. No, the attraction between them goes beyond that.

Or maybe Suzaku is just in such dire straits, what with the whole ‘fantasizing about his pet’ problem he’s been having lately. Either way, he’s interested, and she’s obviously willing, so a few hours after they stumble into one another, Suzaku guides her to his room.

That’s where he runs into an unexpected problem. Lelouch peers up at him from his tank, and in the light coming from the LEDs, his scales looked strange, almost demonic. “Suzaku! Thank God you’re here. You need to tell your friends to turn the music down. That racket is making my scales hurt.”

Suzaku is pretty sure that isn’t possible, and it’s just Lelouch being as dramatic as usual. But the noise is the least of their issues, because Lelouch promptly notices Euphie. He goes very still, to the point that he doesn’t even seem to be swimming anymore. “Suzaku… What’s going on? Why is she here?”

Suzaku can’t exactly answer Lelouch’s question without seeming crazy, but thankfully, Euphie solves that problem. “Oh! Suzaku, you have a fish! Isn’t he adorable?”

Euphie goes to the tank and bends over to peer closer at Lelouch. Suzaku winces. Lelouch is many things, but adorable isn’t one of them. ‘Adorable’ is a name Suzaku would use for kittens, or at the very least, those genetically engineered GloFish. Lelouch is a demon fish, and he is not happy about having his sanctuary invaded.

“Suzaku, I expect an answer,” he snaps, ignoring Euphie’s wriggling fingers.

Suzaku suppresses the bang his head against the wall—or against Lelouch’s tank—and hopes Euphie would go along with this craziness. “Euphie, this is my arowana, Lelouch. My dorm mates gave him to me a little while ago.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of them,” Euphie says. “Hi, Lelouch. I’m Euphie.”

Lelouch stares at her, but doesn’t react. Euphie sighs and stands back up, facing Suzaku once again. “You know, it’s funny that you’d name your arowana that. I had an older brother named Lelouch. He died when we were very young.”

“I’m so sorry,” Suzaku says, stricken. “I didn’t mean to bring back bad memories.”

“No, they’re not bad memories.” Euphie waves a hand and shoots him a small, sad smile. “I like remembering Lelouch. Your fish reminds me of him for some reason. That sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”

“Crazy doesn’t always have to be a bad thing,” Suzaku replies. He leans in a little more closely to her. “Besides, I’m glad you feel comfortable enough with me to share something like that.”

Their gazes meet and lock. In her eyes, Suzaku sees the same hunger stirring in his gut. “Suzaku…” she whispers.

And just like that, both Lelouchs are forgotten. Suzaku pulls Euphie in his arms and kisses her.

At first, it’s a little clumsy. Euphie obviously doesn’t have any experience. But that’s okay with Suzaku because he’s willing to take it slow, to make sure she enjoys herself. He takes his time exploring her mouth, all the while allowing his hands to roam over every inch of her he can reach. She’s sighing softly against him, grinding against his erection, and God, he needs to be inside her so badly it hurts.

He breaks their kiss, nibbling on her neck and ear lobe. “Suzaku…” she croaks out. “Please…”

Suzaku doesn’t have to be told twice. He picks her up in his arms and carries her to the bed.

As he sets Euphie down, he becomes aware of his fishy friend’s distress. “What do you think you’re doing?” Lelouch asks, outraged. “Don’t touch her like that!”

Usually, when Lelouch is pissed for whatever reason, Suzaku tends to fulfill his wishes. He actually kind of likes it, because he finds Lelouch’s huffiness endearing. But today is not one of those days, and he has no intention of letting Lelouch interrupt his time with Euphie.

Fortunately, Lelouch is a fish, and as such, Euphie can’t hear what he’s saying. And if nothing else, living with Kaguya has taught Suzaku to ignore things he really didn’t want to hear. He focuses on the beautiful girl in his arms and discards everything else.

Between the two of them, they manage to throw off his shirt and toss off her blouse. He’s undoing her bra when disaster strikes. The sound of a deafening crack echoes through the room. Suzaku pulls away from Euphie, instantly on the edge and ready for potential danger. He turns just in time to watch Lelouch’s tank break.

Water spills all over the floor and metal and ornaments go down with it. Lelouch is somewhere underneath it all, writhing on the floor. “Water,” Suzaku hears him croak out. “Suzaku… Water.”

Suzaku curses and rushes to his fish’s side. Glass cracks underneath his bare feet, but Suzaku ignores it. He picks up the fallen arowana and rushes him to the bathroom.

It’s a close call, but he manages to fill the sink quickly enough to provide Lelouch with a temporary refuge. Euphie rushes into the room with him. “Oh my God, Suzaku. Is he all right? Can I help?”

“Fill the tub with water, please,” Suzaku says.

She does, while Suzaku makes sure Lelouch isn’t too hurt. Through some kind of miracle, the damn fish is unscathed and once he’s underwater, he seems to be fine.

The same thing cannot be said about Suzaku. In his haste to rescue Lelouch, he’d hurt himself on the glass. Euphie flinches when she sees him start pulling glass out of his feet.

“That looks bad, Suzaku. Do you think you’ll need stitches?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” Suzaku replies. “I’ve had worse from training sessions.”

Euphie isn’t really reassured, but she doesn’t push him. Instead, she does the best she can to help him.

A few minutes later, Monica shows up. She’s visibly tipsy, but well enough to be concerned about him and Lelouch. “What happened to your pleasure fish, Suzaku?”

Suzaku wants to facepalm at Monica calling Lelouch his pleasure fish in front of Euphie. Talk about embarrassing. Well, there’s nothing for it now. He’ll explain later, assuming Euphie will even want to talk to him after this fiasco.

“There was a small accident,” he answers. “Lelouch is fine, but we’ll need a new tank.”

“It broke?” Monica asks in disbelief. “I thought that thing was harder to break than a knightmare.”

“So did I.” In fact, he’d bought the best possible tank, according to all of Lelouch’s specifications—sans the emeralds, which he’d yet to be able to procure or justify. And yet, Lelouch has somehow managed to break it.

He should have known better than to think Lelouch would accept being ignored. He’s not a normal fish, and Euphie’s presence has upset him. But still, Suzaku isn’t happy with this whole development. And now, his dorm room is a disaster area, and he has to clean up instead of having sex with a beautiful girl.

Fucking cockblocking fish.

Monica shoots him a knowing look. “If you want, I can give you a hand with the cleaning.”

“I can help too,” Euphie says.

Suzaku shakes his head. “It’s fine. Thanks, but this is my fault. I’ll do it.”

Euphie and Monica both look concerned, but leave him to it. Before she goes, Euphie presses a piece of paper into his hand. “Call me, when you’re not busy.”

Despite the mess, her small smile makes Suzaku feel better. “I will,” he promises.

The exchange gives him the strength to confront Lelouch about this disaster. He may have told Monica that it was an accident, but he knows that’s not true.

Lelouch is lazily swimming in the tub when Suzaku enters the bath, looking almost smug. A surge of irritation rushes through Suzaku. “I hope you know I’m not happy with you. If you think I’m just going to accept what happened, you’ve got another think coming.”

“Well, it was inconsiderate of you to bring her in our room without asking me for my permission,” Lelouch says huffily.

“It’s not _our_ room!” Suzaku snaps at him. “It’s _my_ room. You have a tank. And guess what? Now you’ve broken it, and I’m not going to let this slide.”

The next day, after all the water and the glass have been swept up, Suzaku orders another tank. It’s as good as the one before, if not better. He’s not petty enough to make Lelouch uncomfortable. But there’s one difference. He places this one in the library, away from his room.

As soon as Lelouch realizes his plan, he tries to change his mind. “Come on, Suzaku. Don’t be like this. I’m your arowana, remember? And you belong with me too.”

“This is for the best,” Suzaku says, without acknowledging Lelouch’s words. “You were uncomfortable having Euphie in your space, and really, no one ever comes into the dorm library. Not to stay here, at least.” The other Rounds dropped by to pick up books and stuff, but they all preferred to study in their rooms, so half the time, the library is empty and abandoned.

Lelouch refuses to listen, waving his fins in visible agitation. “So, this is about her? I promise I’ll be nice if that’s what it takes.”

Suzaku wants to believe him, but he’s uneasy. He makes a mental note to talk to Tohdoh-sensei or someone else at home about sentient fish and exactly what they are. He didn’t really bring it up with anyone before, but that may have been a mistake.

“We’ll see,” he replies noncommittally.

“Suzaku, please… Don’t do this.”

He sounds heartbroken, and even his scales look a little dimmer. Suzaku almost falters. He can still move the tank back to his room. It would be a pain, but he can call the people from the store again and ask them to help.

Just this once, it’s not such a big deal. After all, he and Lelouch are still new to one another, and Lelouch doesn’t really understand boundaries. Maybe Suzaku can let this one slide.

He’s about to do exactly that, when his phone rings. It’s, unfortunately, Bismarck. “We need you here for an emergency project, Kururugi,” Bismarck snaps at him. “Move it.”

It’s still the weekend, but Bismarck doesn’t care about that. Knowing him, he deliberately started a project now, to punish them for the party. Some of them are still suffering from hangovers, and they won’t be enjoying the drills.

Suzaku isn’t in that situation, but he’s not happy about it either, since he still has the Lelouch issue to deal with. Still, he doesn’t protest. “Yes, Sir. I’ll be right there.”

Bismarck hangs up on him. With a sigh, Suzaku pockets his phone. “I have to go, Lelouch. I’ll talk to you later, all right?”

Lelouch sort of slumps in on himself, which should have been impossible, considering his nature. “I should have listen to C.C. She was right about you.”

Suzaku has no idea what to make of that. Lelouch never mentions anything about his past, and this C.C.—whoever she is—must have been important to Lelouch. It’s also vaguely alarming that Lelouch talked with someone about him, presumably before Lelouch had been brought to the dorm.

But Suzaku doesn’t have time to dwell on that now. He turns on his heel and leaves the library. Some time away from Lelouch will clear his head and do them both good. He’ll finish whatever stupid project Bismarck has for him, then call Euphie and fix things with her. After that, he’ll figure things out with Lelouch.

It’s for the best. At the end of the day, Suzaku is human, and Lelouch is not. It’s just not a good idea for him to get attached to Lelouch, no matter what kind of creature he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Lelouch :( Don't worry, I do intend to make sure they're happy together. Also, GloFish do actually exist and they are in fact genetically engineered fluorescent fish.


	4. The Forgotten Fish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I wanted to finish this until the end of 2020, but I got distracted. Oh, well, don't worry. I have this fic all planned out, and I will finish it. Enjoy the new installment and be advised some dark content will be coming from now on.

“This is ridiculous. How am I supposed to do any work with this stench distracting me?”

Suzaku bends over and picks up a heavy wooden beam by himself, since he clearly can’t rely on his ‘partner’ to help him. “You never do any work, so it’s beside the point.”

He turns away, ignoring Luciano’s vicious glaring. His weekend didn’t start out well, considering his argument with Lelouch, but everything has just become so much worse.

The infamous project involves volunteering for a non-profit organization named after one of the first ever knightmare pilots, Lady Marianne. It’s a pet project of Bismarck’s, but the emperor is fond of it too, so contributing can only benefit them.

The problem is that Bismarck is feeling in a particularly rotten mood today. He’s decided to pair them up for the project—and Suzaku’s partner is Luciano of all people.

“If you want to persevere in the Rounds, the two of you have to get rid of this rivalry you have,” he’d told them. “I don’t want to hear any protests. There’s no room for internal disputes on the battlefield.”

Normally, Suzaku would agree with him. The issue is that Suzaku doesn’t have a rivalry with Luciano per se. That would require Suzaku seeing Luciano as his equal, and everyone with a brain can see that he just isn’t. Their arguments stem from Luciano’s insistence to bait Suzaku. It’s not that unusual for Britannians to be at least mildly xenophobic, but Luciano takes his racism to a whole new level, and that shows.

To make matters worse, he’s among the few Rounds who are actually functional and can do any kind of work. Gino is spending more time throwing up than pulling his own weight in the project. Anya is deceptively strong for such a small person, but she can’t hold her liquor either, and she’s already keeled over somewhere. Monica, Nonette, and Dorothea are trying, but the only one of them actually making any progress is Dorothea.

Suzaku doesn’t want his friends to get into any trouble, so that leaves him to do most of the work, with very little time at his disposal and with Luciano being a pest.

Luciano follows in his wake, not even bothering to carry anything. “I suppose you would be good at manual labor,” he comments. “It’s the only thing people like you are good for. Honestly, Kururugi, you should just give up while you’re at it. Everyone knows you’re only here because your father’s the prime minister of Japan.”

Suzaku twitches in irritation. That part is actually true. Britannian schools don’t really allow a lot of foreign students, least of all in specialized military academies. But being the Kururugi heir opened a lot of doors for Suzaku, and that’s something Luciano has always hated.

Monica once told Suzaku that before Suzaku’s arrival, Luciano would bitch at Gino a lot, claiming it was Gino’s status as a lord that allowed him to apply to the school. It’s kind of funny, but Suzaku thinks that, in the big picture, drawing Luciano’s hostility off Gino helped him integrate better in their small group.

Unfortunately, that’s not something that can help him today. If anything, the opposite is the case. The insults keep piling on top of one another, and Suzaku forces himself to remain calm and not react. He can kick Luciano’s ass later, when Bismarck isn’t around to make his life difficult for it.

The hours pass slowly and torturously. At one point, his friends wake up. It helps, if only because Luciano is less talkative with all of them around.

Finally, Bismarck shows up again and decides they’re free to go for the day. “Good job,” he tells Luciano and Suzaku. “See? I told you you could work together if you tried.”

Suzaku feels the sudden urge to strangle Bismarck, but miraculously, he holds back. He takes a couple of deep breaths, once again focusing on the lessons he’s been taught back at home. Hiding his eyes behind the fall of his hair—since his sensei has always told him that tended to give him away when he was furious—he thanks his superior officer. “Of course. We were happy to help.”

Bismarck dismisses them, not seeming aware of how pissed off Suzaku is about the whole thing. His friends notice, though, and everyone is quiet as they make their way back to the dorm. Everyone except Luciano, of course, because once again, he decides he has to be difficult.

They’re right outside the dorm when the bastard finally crosses the line. “That was quite a show you put up for Bismarck,” he says. “I always knew you were a little cocksucking bitch. Tell me, how does it feel to be Bismarck’s fuck toy?”

Suzaku opens his mouth to answer, but his friends are faster. “Shut the fuck up, Luciano,” Dorothea snaps at him. “You’re out of line.”

It’s uncommon for Dorothea to curse quite so openly, and Suzaku freezes, no longer knowing how to deal with the situation. The others aren’t thwarted.

“There’s nothing wrong with being gay,” Monica adds, “and even if that weren’t true, Suzaku would never use his body to earn his role here. He doesn’t need to do that sort of thing.”

“Suzaku deserves being here,” Gino pipes up. “You can say whatever you want about me, but no matter how hard you try, you won’t change the fact that he’s better than you.”

“In fact, if there’s anyway who doesn’t deserve to be a Rounds, it’s you,” Anya adds, a sneer on her usually stoic face. “You have no honor, no goal beyond violence. One day, I will make sure you’re removed from the school.”

The threat hangs heavily between them, made even more remarkable by the fact that it was Anya who said it. Anya is more dangerous than she seems, and there’s a reason why she’s a member of the Rounds despite her apparently fragile nature.

Luciano clenches his jaw and glares at all of them, but doesn’t answer. Instead, he pivots on his heel and stalks into the dorm. Once he’s gone, Suzaku’s friends turn toward him.

“Sorry about that, Suzaku,” Monica says. “I know you had to deal with him today on your own because we were out of it.”

“It’s fine,” Suzaku replies, waving his hand. “It’s nothing I can’t handle. Thanks for defending me.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” Gino asks with a laugh.

They all enter the dorm, now a little more relaxed. Suzaku would like to hang out with them more—he’s ignored them a bit lately—but they’re all too tired for it. Instead, they make a beeline for their respective dorms.

Suzaku takes a quick shower, then plops down on his bed. He’s a little tired too, it’s only six pm and, he doesn’t think he can sleep. A memory flashes through his head—that of the phone number Euphie pressed into his palm.

He’d saved the number in his contacts earlier, so all he has to do is dig out his phone and dial. Euphie answers after only a few rings. “Hello?”

“Hi,” Suzaku says, feeling a little better just at hearing her voice. “It’s Suzaku? From the other night?”

“Oh, Suzaku! I’m so glad you called. Is everything all right with your fish?”

“Yes, everything’s fine,” Suzaku replies automatically. He hasn’t gone to check on Lelouch, but he isn’t in the mood to argue with Lelouch now. He can do that tomorrow. “I was wondering… Do you want to meet? I know it’s a little short notice…”

“It’s fine,” Euphie cuts him off. “I’d love to see you. Where do you want to go?”

“How about Cafe Avalon? In one hour?”

“That sounds great,” Euphie answers. “I’ll see you there.”

The Avalon isn’t very far, and Suzaku has enough time to change his clothes, buy Euphie some flowers—pink roses—then make his way there. He arrives at the coffee shop first and waves at the owner. It’s the weekend, but the owners of the Avalon are friends of Gino’s family and they usually save the Rounds a table, separate from everyone else.

Euphie arrives, wearing a pretty pink dress that complements her hair perfectly. She blushes a little when she sees him holding the flowers, and he thinks ‘cute’.

“Hi, Euphie,” he greets her with a wide smile. “Thanks for coming.”

“Thanks for asking me.” He offers her the roses and she takes them happily and inhales their soft perfume. “The flowers are beautiful.”

Suzaku refrains from saying something corny like ‘not as beautiful as you’, although it’s true. “I’m glad you like them. I wasn’t sure what your favorite flower was, but somehow, pink roses seem to suit you.”

“Well, you nailed it,” Euphie replies with a laugh. A little more seriously, she adds, “I wasn’t sure you would call.”

“And why wouldn’t I? I’m many things, but I’m not that much of an idiot. I’m lucky to get your phone number.”

“Don’t tease me,” she replies, rolling her eyes. “I bet you get phone numbers from girls all the time.”

He doesn’t bother denying it. “I do, occasionally, but none of them are you.” He offers her his arm. “Now, come on, my lady. I have a booth ready for us.”

He winks and she lets out a low giggle. “Lead the way then, sir knight.”

The booth is private and comfortable, and the staff as welcoming as always. They order their drinks, and before long, they fall into easy conversation.

Like the night before, talking to Euphie is as easy as breathing. She has a very calming, soothing presence, and her laughter sounds like the twinkling of bells, bright, airy, and melodious. And yet, Suzaku soon begins to feel anxious. The café is too warm and he takes a sip of his drink, trying to distract himself and focus on Euphie’s smile.

Lelouch’s strange words echo in his head. _“I should have listen to C.C. She was right about you.”_

What? What the hell? Why is he thinking about that now? This makes no sense.

Suzaku looks into Euphie’s eyes and for a few seconds, they remind him of Lelouch’s scales. He feels like he’s going crazy. He can’t breathe and a sharp pang of pain erupts through his chest. _No, forget about it. Forget about it. Don’t think about Lelouch._

The sensation of discomfort starts to fade. Euphie has noticed his behavior, though, and shoots him a look of concern. “Suzaku? Is everything all right?”

“Yes,” he answers. She seems unconvinced, and he decides to throw her a bone. “Well, mostly.”

Before he knows it, Suzaku finds himself telling her about what happened today, with Luciano. He doesn’t really like complaining about Luciano, but it’s a better option than telling her he had a strange panic attack induced by thoughts of his fish.

“That’s horrible,” she says once he has finished the story. “Surely there’s something the dean can do about the other student.”

“It’s complicated, because I’m a foreigner. Besides, I don’t want any trouble. My parents might even pull me out of school if things get too bad. I don’t think Luciano knows that, but at the very least, he’s aware he can get away with some shit just because he’s Britannian.”

“I’m so sorry about this, Suzaku,” Euphie says. “Thinks have been getting better for non-Britannians since we opened the borders but it’s a slow process.”

Suzaku nods. Britannia had been very insular until recently, and he’d been aware of that when he’d come here. He doesn’t want to complain all night long, though. That’s not why he asked Euphie out.

“Don’t worry about it now. I couldn’t care less about Luciano when you’re here.”

Just like that, the tension in Euphie’s shoulders evaporates. She shuffles a little closer to him, and he puts his arm around her. He has no intention of doing anything sexual with her in the café—it would be very inappropriate—but just the proximity is enough.

As it turns out, Euphie has other ideas. As soon as they’re close enough, she places her small hand on his crotch and starts massaging his dick through the material of his jeans. Suzaku jerks, but doesn’t pull away. “Euphie, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“It’s fine,” she says. “This booth is private, isn’t it? And we were interrupted yesterday.”

Yes, they had been, but they can go someplace else if she wants to. And honestly, the idea appeals a lot. He hasn’t forgotten how good it felt to kiss her and have her in his arms. But Euphie looks like she’s in a hurry. “I really want to touch you,” she insists.

She’s already working on his zipper and sliding her hand into his briefs. And really, Suzaku would not say no—except at that exact moment, his phone rings.

Suzaku freezes, because that’s the Rounds emergency ringtone. They all have a separate phone number for emergencies, so at any point, if one of them calls that line, they know they need to interrupt whatever they’re doing and come running.

Suzaku grabs Euphie’s wrist and pulls her hand out of his pants. “Wait. I need to get this.”

She pouts, but allows it. Suzaku has a feeling he’s just blown this date and any possibility he may have had of getting in her pants. But he has no choice, not if his friends need him. He takes the call, distantly noting the caller is Anya. “Yes?”

For a few seconds, there’s no answer. Suzaku isn’t at all reassured. “Hello? Anya, are you there?”

“Suzaku, you need to get back to the dorm,” Anya says at last. “Please come quick.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s complicated.” Anya sounds upset and conflicted. “Just come.”

And then, she hangs up without providing an explanation. Suzaku stares at the screen of his phone, more confused than ever. “I think my friends are in some kind of trouble,” he tells Euphie. “I’m really sorry about this. Raincheck?”

Euphie smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Sure.”

The only bright side of the situation is that she doesn’t stalk out in a huff or anything like that. They make their way out of the booth together, and even if they fall into an awkward silence, it’s not quite as horrible as it could be.

After he pays the bill, Suzaku offers to drive her to her dorm, but she refuses. “It’s out of your way, Suzaku. I’ll take a cab.”

Suzaku is secretly relieved, although he does his best not to show it. Still, by the time he reaches the school, he’s fuming. He really hopes this emergency of Anya’s is great enough to warrant the use of the phone number, because otherwise, he may do something they will all regret.

The moment he enters the dorm room, he changes his mind. He hopes this is just a prank or a bad dream, nothing like an emergency.

But it’s not, and the air smells like baked fish. He wants to think his friends suddenly had the urge to order in, but somehow, he knows that isn’t it.

Like a man in a dream, he makes his way to the kitchen. Anya, Monica, and Gino are gathered around the counter, and there, on the table, he sees the body of Lelouch—now baked and laid out on a plate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun-dun-dun-dun. Don't worry. At the risk of giving you a mild spoiler, this will have a happy ending. Obviously, because of the explicit rating LOL.


End file.
